Improvement in signal-lanterns



N. LASH. Signal Lantern.

Pat'gnted Jan.

om Ill- "mm M liillllllllunlmll Ira/620702 Z OQM JQ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

NATHANAEL LASH, OF ELLSWORTH, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SlGNAL-LANTERNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,988, dated January 8,1878; application filed December 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANAEL LASH, of Ellsworth, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Signal-Boxes and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of my-improved signal-box. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the class of signal-boxes in which both a day and night signal are combined in the same apparatus and operated by the same means; and the invention consists in the combination of a vertical open-bottomed box, having the usual signal glasses in its sides, and a stop or stops and a vertically-adjustable sliding skeleton frame arranged within said box, and provided with a horizontal lamp-holder and a suspended day signal board, which are attached to and move with said adjustable frame, all as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents an open-bottomed signal-box, provided with white glass B in its upper portion or sides, and colored signal-glass D in its lower portion or sides.

3 represents a skeleton sliding flame, arranged to be adjusted vertically within said box, and which is provided at its lower end with a horizontal lamp-holder, E, for the re ception of the lamp F, which is placed therein through the door G in one side of the box A. Centrally secured to the frame 0, and below the lamp-holder, is a colored signal-board, H. The frame G, with the suspended signal-board, is about the height of the signal-box, so that when the frame 0 is drawn up into the upper part of the box A the board H will also be drawn up into said box. The box A is provided, near the bottom, with a stop or stops, to, upon which the frame C rests when it is lowered to display either a day or night signal, the daysignal being produced by the board H being lowered below the bottom of the box, and the night-signal produced by the lamp being lowered with frame 0, so as to shine through the colored signal-glasses D.

The signal-box is to be put up outside of depots, and high enough to be out of the way of passing obstructions or passengers; and the cord 1), which is connected to the top of the firame O, and, passing over a pulley, c, in the top of the signal-box, is run into the operating-room and fastened to a hook or nail at the instrument-table, or within reaching distance of the operator, so that upon receiving a signal-order on his instrument he can unhook the cord, thus allowing the frame to drop by its own weight, thus easily and quickly giving the signal to trains either by day or night.

By my improved signal-box an extra lamp is dispensed with, it only requiring a white lantern, such as is used at all stations at night, which is produced by the lamp through the white glasses in the upper portion of the box.

My improved signal-box is simple in its construction, and easily and quickly operated to produce either day or night signals.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described signal-box, consisting of the open-bottomed box A, having the white and colored glasses B andD and stop or stops at, and the vertically-adjustable sliding frame 0, having lamp-holder and lamp E F, and the suspended signal-board H, the several parts. constructed and relatively arranged to operate substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of December, 1877.

NATHANAEL LASH.

Witnesses:

J. HOLDREN, N. PATTERSON. 

